Shooting in Nice
A destination with built-in production value

Nice isn’t just a backdrop. It’s a working canvas for visual storytellers. With direct flights from London and New York, 300 days of sun per year, and fast access to sea, city and mountains, it offers producers the rare combination of diversity, accessibility, and ease. Whether you’re preparing a luxury fashion editorial or a full-scale TVC, Nice delivers infrastructure and aesthetics in equal measure.

A system built for production

Nice has a fully structured, professional approach to shoots of all scales. The city is home to the Bureau d’Accueil des Tournages, located at the Victorine Studios. This central office handles all production-related admin, from filming permits to technical coordination with city services. In other words, you don’t need to explain the film industry to the town hall — they speak the language.

For any public space filming, the Bureau streamlines requests. They provide:

  • Permit processing via downloadable forms or their online platform

  • Liaison with technical departments and public services

  • Feasibility assessments and location logistics advice

Key contacts:

  • patrice.barbe@ville-nice.fr

  • christophe.toselli@ville-nice.fr

  • contact@studios-victorine.com (for studio shoots)

Regional Film Commission: your local intelligence

The Alpes-Maritimes Côte d’Azur Film Commission is your connector. They help you:

  • Navigate administrative systems

  • Scout locations via national database (Locations Film France)

  • Connect with reliable local crews, vendors, and accommodations

  • Understand funding support and regional assistance

They’re your first stop for a seamless pre-prod phase.

Scouting support & fixer network

Recce Atelier and other experienced scouts can guide your go-see or recce visits. For producers arriving from the UK or US, this local layer is essential to evaluate access, sun path, sound environment, and framing potential. Services include:

  • Curated location packs

  • On-ground fixers with bilingual coordination

  • Tech recces with full crew access planning

Companies like Easy Spaces and La Prod du Sud offer complete location management and production coordination.

Filming Permits & Access

All filming — editorial, commercial, motion or stills — requires a filming permit from the City of Nice or Victorine Studios. For lightweight editorial productions, permits can be issued within 3 working days.

Standard production support includes:

  • Dedicated crew parking with tech vehicle access

  • Resident letters and filming notifications

  • Support for environmental and public access constraints on coastal shoots

The local production ecosystem understands the importance of discretion, minimal impact, and client comfort.

The Riviera, without compromise

From the iconic Promenade des Anglais to hillside villas and alpine switchbacks, Nice offers every Mediterranean texture. The light is world-famous. The logistics are world-class.

Every shoot is treated as a cultural event. Local stakeholders are used to working with luxury brands and international agencies. There is no learning curve.

Production Resources

Gear, crew and mobility are easy to source:

  • Nice Film Industry offers grip, lighting, and vehicle rentals with on-location delivery

  • Easy Spaces, Purviewstudio.com, and others provide production support, gear handling, and logistic coordination

  • Studios de la Victorine houses fully-equipped stages, greenrooms, offices and storage

Why shoot in Nice

  • Direct access from London, NYC, Paris

  • 300+ days of sun, perfect for natural light

  • Coast, city and mountain access within 45 minutes

  • Experienced crew and service providers

  • Reliable permitting process with fast response

  • Quietly cinematic: no need to dress it up

In summary

Nice blends natural beauty with production discipline. It offers the warmth and spontaneity of the Riviera, paired with the confidence of a city that knows how to host a global shoot.

For a no-surprises shoot that delivers beyond the frame, start with the Film Commission and Bureau d'Accueil. Then bring in a local team who knows how to finesse the detail.

Recce Atelier is based 90 minutes from Nice and works regularly across the entire coastline.

We speak your language, walk your process, and protect your frame.